BILL NUMBER: SB 1115	CHAPTERED  10/10/99

	CHAPTER   668
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   OCTOBER 10, 1999
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   OCTOBER 6, 1999
	PASSED THE SENATE   SEPTEMBER 8, 1999
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   SEPTEMBER 7, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   SEPTEMBER 3, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   AUGUST 18, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   JULY 1, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   APRIL 29, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   APRIL 19, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   APRIL 5, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Senators Chesbro, Solis, and Speier
   (Coauthors:  Assembly Members Alquist, Mazzoni, Strom-Martin, and
Wildman)

                        FEBRUARY 26, 1999

   An act to add Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 104190) to
Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 103 of the Health and Safety Code,
relating to disease.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1115, Chesbro.  Lyme disease:  advisory committee and
information service.
   Existing law imposes various functions and duties on the State
Department of Health Services with respect to the administration and
oversight of various disease and prevention programs.
   This bill would create the Lyme Disease Advisory Committee in the
State Department of Health Services composed of, but not limited to,
5 members from specified groups and appointed by the Director of
Health Services.  The bill would require the department, among other
things, to establish a Lyme disease information program.  It would
also require the committee to advise and make recommendations to the
department regarding certain subjects relating to Lyme disease.  The
bill would further require the department to provide certain
information to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board,
and would authorize the board to determine which employees should be
required to receive the vaccine for Lyme disease as a condition of
employment.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) Lyme disease is an infectious disease transmitted by the bite
of the Western Blacklegged tick (ixodes pacificus), found in at lease
54 of 58 counties in California, and possibly by other arthropods.
   (b) The disease is caused by a spirochete (borrelia burgdorferi),
a spiral-shaped bacterium that may persist in the human body for
several years if not treated properly with antibiotics.
   (c) The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) reports that Lyme disease continues to be a rapidly emerging
infectious disease with more than 103,000 cases reported since 1982,
a 25-fold increase of reported cases during that period.
   (d) The CDC estimates that $60,000,000 may be spent annually for
treatment of early acute stages of the disease but has not been able
to estimate the costs associated with the later stages of the
disease.
   (e) In the initial phase, antibiotics can cure Lyme disease, but
if not diagnosed in the early stages, severe permanent physical
complications can occur and treatment is more difficult.
   (f) Some persons affected by the advanced stages of Lyme disease
have suffered irreparable damage to their health, careers, and
family.  Many victims suffer permanent physical damage due to
misdiagnoses or ignorance of the disease.
   (g) The CDC has determined that there are unstandardized
diagnostic tests, that control methods are impractical, that
knowledge of geographical distribution is incomplete, and the public
and medical communities are uninformed.
   (h) Therefore, the American Lyme Disease Foundation recommends
that persons who live in highly epidemic areas or whose employment
places them at high risk from Western Blacklegged tick bites, consult
with their physicians regarding the use of the vaccine.
   (i) Therefore, it is the policy of the State of California that
people are encouraged to take all necessary steps to protect
themselves from tick bites including, but not limited to, the
following:
   (1) Avoiding tick-infested areas.
   (2) Wearing light-colored long pants and long sleeves when in
tick-infested areas.
   (3) Tucking shirt or blouse into pants and pants into socks.
   (4) Using tick repellants.
   (5) Frequently visually inspecting one's body for ticks.
  SEC. 2.  Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 104190) is added to
Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 103 of the Health and Safety Code, to
read:

      Article 2.5.  Lyme Disease Advisory Committee and Information
Service

   104190.  As used in this article the following definitions apply:

   (a) "Disease" means Lyme disease recognized by the presence of the
spirochete (borrelia burgdorferi), a spiral-shaped bacterium, in the
human body.
   (b) "Lyme Disease Support Network" means the groups organized
through hospitals and volunteer organizations to counsel and provide
support to those individuals who have contracted the disease.
   104191.  (a) There is hereby created in the state department the
Lyme Disease Advisory Committee composed of , but not limited to, the
following members:
   (1) One from the Lyme Disease Resource Center.
   (2) One from the Lyme Disease Support Network.
   (3) One from the California Medical Association.
   (4) One county public health official designated by the State
Department of Health Services.
   (5) One from the department.
   (b) Members shall be appointed by, and serve at the pleasure of,
the director .
   (c) Members of the committee shall serve without compensation, but
may be reimbursed for travel and necessary expenses incurred in the
performance of their duties on the committee.
   104192.  The Lyme Disease Advisory Committee shall advise and make
recommendations to the department regarding subjects including, but
not limited to, all of the following:
   (a) The content and geographic distribution of Lyme disease
educational materials.
   (b) How best to provide information and outreach to the medical
community.
   (c) How best to provide information and outreach to the general
public.
   (d)  Populations at risk of contracting Lyme disease.
   104193.  The department shall do all of the following:
   (a) Establish a  Lyme disease information program that provides
educational materials and information services on Lyme disease to the
general public and the medical community.  The Lyme disease
information program shall provide information on all of the
following:
   (1) The disease in general, including its symptoms.
   (2) Activities that increase one's risk of contracting the
disease.
   (3) The use of vaccines to prevent the disease.
   (4) The ways to protect oneself from contracting the disease,
including the use of protective clothing and tick repellants.
   (b) Provide detailed information regarding Lyme disease and its
treatment to physicians and surgeons in affected areas.
   (c) Identify those segments of the population that are especially
at risk of contracting Lyme disease and may provide workshops, with
detailed information on the disease in those areas or communities, if
recommended by the Lyme Disease Advisory Committee.
   (d) Provide information to the Occupational Safety and Health
Standards Board about risk factors for exposure to Lyme disease.  The
Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board may determine which
employees should be required to receive the vaccine as a condition of
employment, in order to reduce the potential liability of employers
and protect the health of employees.
